human jukebox 2

My Dad and I went to see Kim Salmon at the Old Bar last Sunday. It was really, really good. Maybe one of my favourite gigs for the year.

He played two sets of Scientists stuff, and it was really cute seeing him play Frantic Romantic, 'cos it's such a teenager song and he's getting on in age now. Still looks good though (obligatory creepy musing).

When he finished Rowland S Howard was playing over the speakers. He's defs been following me this last week. First at the Tote, then the Old Bar, and on Wednesday I saw his photo in one of my Uni lectures offices.

Weird times.

human jukebox

We were on the door for Buried Horses this weekend, so we went, if only to emanate the importance of being on the door list (to ourselves).

While I was waiting for my friend I could the bass of my favourite/least favourite song of theirs and by the time we were in it was over. I don’t know if that was good or bad. They were good, again (I don’t know any other adjectives aside from good and great, anymore. From a scale of 1-5 I guess it’d go: bad, not that good, okay, good, great) and they have a great cover of Ghost Riders In The Sky.

Afterwards I performed a monologue or two to a few unlucky people, then Jim, Ella and I spend $10 playing the ‘best of’ the Tote jukebox. It was mainly Rowland S Howard and it was good.

Great.

trips to spain and china.

Half of the enjoyment of seeing bands is not the bands you go to see, but the crowd—who you see.

I still don’t know that many people in Melbourne, so when someone recognises you it’s quite a nice feeling. I think I knew at least seven people when Buried Horses played as part of the Spanish Festival on Friday night. The band was good too-- I think it just takes a million listens to get used to, like many nice things.

Later on in the night I discovered the mystery of the second floor rooms at the Old Bar, and uncovered a plethora of GV gossip. The secrets mainly revolved around failures of sorts, and because I was so intrigued with these jaw-dropping hearsays I missed out on Midnight Woolf. I heard their cover of Gloria though, which sounded fun.

On Sunday my friend asked me to go to China Town Getdown. There was too much floral, lace and high-waisted pants. I’m pretty sure every band there would cite the Velvet Underground as a major influence. They weren’t bad, bad—Dirt Farmer are nice, but the bands were just all too similar and I was too tired.

Plus, it was kind of boring compared to the previous night.

Sorry.

last liddiard post.

I know I harp on about Gareth Liddiard like my life depends on it, but this will be the last post regarding him for a while- I promise!

I saw him at the Thornbury Theatre on Friday with my parents, where he playedStrange Tourist in its entirety, followed by an encore of some of favourite Drones songs; I am the Supercargo, Locust and Jezabel. It would be in my top 3 gigs of the year. He displayed so much emotion in the songs, especially the Radicalistion of D (which is intense enough on CD- hearing it live nearly made me want to cry when it got to the 'you're living in a nightmare...' part).

One of my favourite parts of seeing Liddiard live is his wonderfully witty banter littered between songs. I think my favourite was when he spoke after playing Supercargo and he said he was in Mexico hopped up on drugs when he wrote the song, and when he played it back it was so slow.

Fuck, I can't do him justice. I'm making him sound like a wanker.

He's not though.

I don't think.

and you're all fucked anyway.

Digger and the Pussycats 2am Pony show was definitely the best time I’ve had in ages. We were watching a friend’s band in the city beforehand, and I was worried we'd miss the 'good' songs .

I’m not a huge fan of Pony- it smells and it’s always chock-ab-block full of creeps, but it was so busy on Friday it didn’t matter.

We were all a bit drunk, and nearly lashed 10 minutes after arriving there in favour of getting food and going to bed, but as we were walking out of the room we heard the seductive guitar notes of ‘I want to be your slut’, so we came back and the song cured our sickness.

Our new friend Lucette was there (we see her nearly every time we see a band), and she played a bit of drums for them in a later song.

When they played ‘Coming to get you’ they said, “This is for Madi”, which was exciting know that finally my high intensity fandom has paid off haha.

Good times.

freedom in the loot

Whilst on my Liddiard obsession, I 'spose I should mention I saw him with the rest of his super good lookin' band mates at the Forum.

I missed out on the Twerps and PK14 because I went to my friends before heading off to the Forum, which was sixty times better for my self esteem anyway.

The Drones were really good, but apparently the sound sucked. I couldn't tell though 'cos I was close to the front.

Here is a picture from the Melbourne International Arts Festival's Facebook:

Radicalisation of D

Listen to the Radicalisation of D by Gareth Liddiard. Despite it coming in at just short of sixteen minutes, it was probably the most beautiful and harrowing sixteen minutes of my day.

A million dollars that kids in VCE will be studying his words in years to come.

On a lighter note--what a babe. I'm really into this whole Ned Kelly/ Australian look at the moment. I've got the boots, the background, and necessary aussie classics on my bookshelf, but i jut can't grow the facial hair.

Lucky I'm a girl, I spose.

greed, money, useless children

My life is in a complete musical lull right now- we haven't even had a band practice in a month and i've seen next to no gigs. I've been listening to Nancy Sinatra. I think I'm getting soft.

I'm going to talk about other shit now.

Lucky you.

i'm livin' on the breadline.

I've been to as more Digger and the Pussycats gigs than my age in years, and only the other week did I start to tire.

Except that I didn't really tire of the band, I was more tired from catching a plethora of trams to meet my little brother in the city and take him out to see his first overage gig (I'm such a joker!).

He assured me that he didn't want to go, that the band would be a piece of shit (LOLOLOLOLOL), and i-won't-get-in-anyway-you-idiot-i'm-only-sixteen!

He did get in, and he handled his first use of an I.D. much better than I did. He still wasn't keen on being there, so I got him a glass of water and a seat, so he could text all his friends that he was in a real life bar and take a photo of the stamp on his wrist and post it to his Facebook wall.

Once Digger and the Pussycats finally took to the stage, they said some rude stuff, played some songs, and got sweaty as. Sweaty as what? Sweaty as... a band... i guess.

I think my brother was pretty impressed with the vulgarity of the songs and the chit chat between them, and Andy's unseated drumming. He couldn't stop smiling, and I think they're pretty good to see as your first pub band. I can't remember much about the first time I saw Digger and the Pussycats, because I was three-quarters totaled, but I do remember having a good time and harrassing the band and being general embarrassment.

Thanks Digger and the Pussycats for uppin' my cool cred with the bro, I will be taking credit for any purchases of your CD in JB HiFi Shepparton.

Send me a cheque in the mail.

re-treat

Mike Noga was super cute last night at the Retreat. His music probs isn't what I'd consider to be amazing, but he seemed really lovely and glad that people were there to see him play. He was pretty funny, and had a cool song called 'Wake Up Dan' that he recorded on his iPhone.

Buried Horses also played and they were heaps better than last time I saw them, so I guess that means that I like the band again.

Lucky them!